PEOPLE'S PHARMACY: Cough fix works instantly

Thursday

May 26, 2011 at 12:01 AM

Q; Our 5-year-old caught a cough that was going around her class. She was miserable with a nonproductive cough every half-minute or so. It was torture.Finally, at midnight, after trying chamomile tea and steaming in the shower, we tried rubbing the soles of her feet with a generic brand similar to Vicks VapoRub. It worked like turning off a spigot.Awesome remedy! Dark chocolate also helps a cough, but it was so late at night, we didn’t want to stimulate her little system with theobromine. Thank you, People’s Pharmacy!A: Thanks for sharing your story. It seems unorthodox, but other parents also report that Vicks on the soles of the feet helps ease a child’s cough. We have hundreds of other intriguing uses for common household products in our brand-new book from National Geographic, “The People’s Pharmacy Quick and Handy Home Remedies.” It is available at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com).Preliminary research suggests the theobromine in dark chocolate may indeed ease a cough (FASEB Journal, Feb. 1, 2005). Because theobromine is related to caffeine, it sometimes can be stimulating.Q: My sister has been on the osteoporosis drugs Fosamax, Forteo and Reclast during the past 10 years. The first of March, her leg just gave way, and she had a broken femur.She also has had jaw and teeth problems for the past several years. I think the prescribing doctor has a responsibility to highlight the serious side effects of these drugs.A: A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine (May 5, 2011) establishes a strong relationship between the use of bisphosphonate drugs for osteoporosis (Actonel, Boniva, Fosamax, Reclast) and atypical fractures of the thigh bone (femur).Such drugs also have been associated with jawbone death (Journal of Dental Research online, May 6, 2011). We agree that the prescriber has a responsibility to review all serious complications of such medications, even if they are relatively rare.Q: A heart doctor put me on Niaspan because my good cholesterol was very low. I am taking 2,000 mg a night. He only told me I would have a little facial flushing.I woke up one night red as a lobster and itching all over. When I called my regular doctor the next day, he laughed and said lots of people will not take Niaspan because of these side effects. A heart doctor he knows told him to have his patients on niacin take aspirin half an hour before taking the niacin and to eat a few tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce when taking the pills.Problem solved. No more flushing or itching.My doctor keeps a check on my liver enzymes regularly. My good cholesterol has come up to normal levels without causing any problems.A: Your doctor’s recommendations are on target. It is a shame the cardiologist didn’t prepare you better to take this medicine.Niacin can be helpful in normalizing cholesterol levels, but as you discovered, the flushing can be uncomfortable or even alarming. Pretreating with aspirin and taking the controlled-release niacin with a meal or with an applesauce snack helps prevent flushing for many patients (Mayo Clinic Proceedings, April 2010). It may take a few weeks for the body to adapt.